Hey y'all! Let's talk about a beautiful green plant in our Florida gardens. In this article, we will be learning about planting, growing, and caring for Bird of Paradise plants in Florida.
I have different types of Bird of Paradise grown in my garden as well as inside the house.
So, I will be sharing my years of experience planting and growing this plant. But there are many things to share about this plant that one article will not be enough.
At the end of this article, I will share pictures of Bird of Paradise that I have grown on my own
Let's start with the basic information about this plant.
Bird of Paradise Plant Information
| Attribute | Information |
|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Strelitzia reginae |
| Common Names | Bird of Paradise, Crane Flower |
| Family | Strelitziaceae |
| Native To | South Africa |
| Plant Type | Perennial |
| Planting season | Anytime except winter. Spring will be the best. |
| Flowering Season | All the year in a healthy condition |
| Blooming time after planting | After 3 years of planting a baby plant |
| Sunlight | Full sun to partial shade, Depending upon if it is considered a house plant or outdoor plant |
| Watering | Moderate watering, allow soil to dry out between waterings |
| Soil Type | Well-draining, rich soil |
| Height | 4-6 feet indoors, up to 25 feet outdoors |
| Flowering color | Majorly orange/bright yellow with blue accent, White |
Can we grow Bird of Paradise in Florida?
Yes, obviously. It's a tropical plant and almost every tropical plant can be grown in Florida if you wish.
But note that, in the northern part of Florida, you have to make sure that you have taken cold protection care for this plant.
If this plant gets caught in frost, it will die. You will need to worry about this if there is a chance of extreme cold and you are planning to plant it outdoors in the ground.
You can expect beautiful blooms within the first 3-5 years of planting.
Check mine:
I am also recommending you check this: Canna Lily - Growing and Caring Tips (gardenvive.com)
Can we grow Bird of Paradise in a pot?
Yes, we can grow this plant in a pot. I will recommend you choose a 10-inch pot if your plant is nearly about 4 feet tall. 12-inch pot for your 6-inch pot and a 14-inch pot for a taller bird of paradise plant.
Growing in a pot
These plants overgrow, so you might need to repot to a larger pot every spring.
Place the pot beside either the south-facing window or the east-facing window where it can get a lot of natural light. You can put it in direct sunlight but not more than 3 hours in a day. If you notice any scorch or yellow-edged leaf, then do not expose it to direct sunlight.
The pot should have holes to drain the excessive water. The pot should have enough space for the roots.
Water it once a week and that will be fine.
Can you grow Bird of Paradise outdoors?
As it is a tropical plant, in most of the places of Florida, you can plant Bird of Paradise outdoors in the ground easily. And if you do so, your plant is going to be taller. It can go up to 25 feet if you take proper care.
Propagation
We can propagate this plant in both ways. We can propagate by dividing Rhizomes (stems from roots) and from the seeds as well.
But the fastest propagation will be the dividing process. Because you will get new plants straight from the roots automatically. If you wish, you can separate those and make more plants, or if you don't have enough space you can remove those too. Let's explain each of those propagation processes one by one.
Propagate by separating
Take a look at the below picture:
This was one single plant but after a few months, I got 2 new stems coming out from the ground. These are generated from Rhizomes. You can separate these new stems and plant them in a new pot or in the ground.
If the stems are small then you can separate those by your hands. But if they are larger, you will need to use scissors and a sharp knife to separate them. (Do not forget to disinfect the instruments with alcohol or spirits. Otherwise, the roots might get infected)
Propagate from seeds
It's not difficult to grow a Bird of Paradise plant from seeds. The only difficult part is to have patience. Just sow the seeds in the soil. Water it and wait for the germination. It can take up to 4 weeks to get healthy saplings.
Watering
If your plant is outdoors and exposed to more light and direct sunlight, consider watering your plant more often, like twice a week will be fine.
But if your plant is inside your house, then once a week will be better. But make sure that your pot has holes to drain the excessive water.
Sunlight
These tropical plants enjoy sunlight. Direct sunlight makes Bird of Paradise plants healthy. But if you are planning to keep it indoors, then do not expose it to direct sunlight for more than 3 hours a day.
If you notice a yellow leaf, then keep it in a shady area for a few days. (Note that, root rots can also make the leaves yellow)
Fertilizer for Bird of Paradise
Liquid fertilizer can be provided where nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium ration will be equal. (1:1:1).
I personally love organic compost fertilizers.
I faced one issue with this plant it grows faster and it can reach the ceiling of your house.
Just see this:
Pictures of my bird of paradise plants
You must be thinking that I have posted two pictures of different plants. Actually, I have grown almost every type of bird of paradise plants. The red one in the picture is not so known species. But it is very much similar to the plant bird of paradise. But that is not BOP at all. But the growing and caring process is the same.
Can I control new pups of bird of paradise from growing?
I get one question from a gardener he is struggling with controlling the bird of paradise plant's new pups.
We know that this plant creates new pups in every growing season so this plant makes sure that it successfully propagates in this way. But it is too much.
Never do this: Cutting the new pups and leaving the bottom part of the pups alive. If you are doing this then it will grow fast.
The best way to get rid of the new suckers or shoots is to separate those from the main plant when you saw them just popping out from the ground. You can plant it somewhere else. give it to a friend or simply throw it away.
